Solar panels can reportedly lose up to 40% of their efficiency simply by being dirty. Now, electricians can cash in on the rise of PV module cleaning companies without lifting a finger. Joe Young reports.

Did you know that one of the biggest threats to the efficacy of solar panels is dust? Air born algae, pollen and dust can settle on PV panels over time, leaving a darkish film that covers the modules.

It’s a bit like leaving a car outside for a long time; it accumulates a thick layer of dirt, which negatively affects the efficiency of solar systems.

Now installers can form partnerships with specialised panel cleaning companies, which will lead to extra income without any extra work.

Already solar installers work seriously hard for their money. Working on sloped roofs and in cramped spaces and constantly going up and down ladders getting the job done, is no mean feat. So earning a few extra dollars without the extra hard labour is an enticing thought.

The process is simple. As part of the initial sale, an electrician sells their customer an ongoing panel maintenance package, to be carried out by a solar panel cleaning company that the sparkie has previously established a relationship with. The cleaning contractors will then carry out the job and pay the electrician every time said panels are cleaned.

Generally, the contract will dictate a clean every six months, so the electrician will receive ongoing payments for the life of the partnership.

Solar cleaning company Green Unicorns founder Brett Jones says his company partners with a number of electricians and installation companies to do everything from small residential jobs to large scale utilities.

“We have partnerships with electricians who have only done one or two installations right through to companies who have done ten thousand,” he says.

“By using a service like ours, sparkies don’t have to get bogged down doing small $89 jobs and can focus on the bigger picture.”

Brett says electricians will generally receive around $15 per clean, which may not seem like a lot but with ongoing payments on many contracts it can add up, particularly when the income is passive.

While Green Unicorns licensees undergo intense training they aren’t qualified electricians, so they can’t do any electrical maintenance during a clean and are therefore no threat to a contractor’s business. In fact, most solar cleaning companies train the staff to identify potential issues that would require maintenance from an electrician, which is then reported back to the installer of the panels.

In other words, using a solar cleaning service could lead to new business opportunities.

“If one of our licensees identifies an issue, they take a photo of it, we put it into our system and the report with the photos is sent straight to the installer. They can then follow-up with the client and carry out any necessary maintenance work,” Brett says.

While it’s true that some panels can go for years without needing a clean, it’s almost impossible to tell how dirty the panels are going to get over time, so selling a cleaning contract is still a viable prospect. If it’s a costal house, a farmhouse or if it’s in close proximity to a main road, dirt will accumulate more rapidly. It can also depend simply on whether there is high bird traffic in the area.

Should your customer forego a cleaning contract, you can always recommend that if they notice a decrease in the energy output of the panels or if they can physically see a build up of dirt on the panels, they can contact a solar panel cleaning company directly. It’s a good idea to tell customers to take note of the energy output during the first week after installation, that way they can use it a future reference point.

Brett explains that using a specialist cleaning company will also reduce the risk of damaging solar panels with incorrect chemicals or scratching the panels, which could also result in a loss of efficacy.

Solar panel cleaning companies avoid using many chemicals to avoid leaving a chemical film on the panels and they use soft non-abrasive equipment to avoid scratching.

“We use de-ionised water and the brush agitation removes all the grit and grime off the panels leaving them in brand new condition,” Brett says.

“Ultimately, if your customers are already investing a significant amount of money on solar panels they want a good return. A cleaning contract is such a small part of the overall cost that many clients will see it as common sense.”